Yeah I remember it being right around our Independence day when I read it.

I first started reading One Piece back in Dec. 2002 (12 years ago) when Shonen Jump was first published here in The States. I started reading new chapters online in 2005 sometime during the Seatrain battles. The first new chapter I read was when Franky defeated Nero.

I was disappointed with sugars defeat at first but then I really thought about it. I want to point out something that i think is quite clever of Oda. There was an enormous emphasis placed on the Tatabasco ball and it was key to the entire SOP operation. When Sugar first puts it in Usopp's mouth the dwarves and the reader are led to believe that the tatabasco strategy is ruined. Next page: Usopp's painful animated reaction. The Tatabasco ball comes full circle and ends up causing Sugar to faint, just not in the way we all had thought. No one could have predicted something like this and unpredictability is one of the mangas selling points. The seriousness of Usopp's position and the emotions brought forth by the flashback scene actually adds to the humour of the entire situation. Oda got all of us hyped up with Usopp's speech and the info of Trebol being flammable. We formed our theories for two weeks and then, bam! He throws us a curveball that is undeniably hilarious. This hilarious act will be the opening of the flood gates of the Dressrosa arc.

Did everyone notice that Dellinger was standing around Franky along with the other officers? Makes sense Franky took a pounding. Three officers and a marine vice admiral.

@The:

The only thing I don't like about how characters express emotions in One Piece (in the anime anyway) is that often it doesn't look like tears coming out of peoples eyes, but, some other…substance, if you know what I mean.

Just the facial expressions period actually, when someone is upset/crying in One Piece look ridiculous. It's hard to take moments that are suppose to be emotional seriously.

I have to disagree. In real life people look ridiculous when they cry, snot running down their noses and all (Next time you cry check the mirror). I've always thoroughly enjoyed how real the crying scenes seemed. Think of each of the strawhats crying moments and the emotion conveyed in those scenes, runny noses included.

Zoro and Sanji Vs. The Groggy Monsters
Zoro Vs. Ryuuma
Sanji Vs. Jyabura
Luffy Vs. Blueno
Franky Vs. Furokou (loved how they kept exchanging blows to the face)
Usopp Vs. Chu

But my favorite will always be Luffy Vs. Crocodile. I wet myself when he laid that first hook across Crocodiles face.

Wasn't the most filling chapter, I still seemed hungry for a little more One Piece after I read it. But I enjoyed it, it was a feel good chapter. I think the fact that Jimbei isn't joining now could mean that we will get a flashback for him in a coming arc. Over all Oda has left a lot for build up and this chapter was a great chapter to excite us for the story lines to come.

I totally agree with you. This is very reminiscent of the beginning of the Grandline and taking a Yonkou out after a couple of smaller arcs seems about right for Luffys progress if he hopes to be the Pirate King. The Strawhats are going to encounter enemies that haven't even been mentioned yet so i think its safe to assume no matter who the the Strawhats beat next there is still going to be a lot of story left.

I could see The Strawhats teaming up with another Supernova crew in order to face big mom. Not because they feel they need another crews help but just because of a common enemy. I could actually see the Supernovas becoming Luffy's allied pirate crews in the end. I think the Strawhats still have a long ways to go before they can match a Yonkou all on their own and I assume were going to see a growth in strength similar to the growth of strength we saw from East Blue to The New World only on a much more powerful scale. And minus the timeskip.

@luffZy:

the concept of haki should be further explained by ODA cos i dont get why luffy's haki is diffident from the previous three admiral and the dark king and why the admirals' haki and rayglieh's are the same
eg like when luffy uses haki his body turn black or grey but when the other use it it is like they are emitting some kind of force field.
people might say luffy is vulcanizing his body or wat not but why is it diffident from others

That's because Luffy is a rubber man. He vulcanizes because he's made of rubber. Rayleigh and the admirals aren't made of rubber. Besides we saw Luffy use Haki without vulcanizing when he 1hitKO'd the pacifista on Sabaody.